spacetoday.net: Shuttle deploys satellite, ready for landing

Posted: Mon, Dec 17, 2001, 8:58 AM ET (1358 GMT)
STS-108 patch

The space shuttle Endeavour deployed a small satellite Sunday while wrapping up its mission in preparation for landing on Monday. On Sunday morning the shuttle released the Starshine 2 satellite into low Earth orbit. The satellite, coated with hundreds of mirrors polished by students, will be tracked by more than 30,000 students in 26 countries over the next eight months, before the spacecraft reenters. The STS-108 crew also spent Sunday packing up to prepare for the shuttle's landing, scheduled for 12:55 pm EST (1755 GMT) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Weather conditions, earlier forecast to be poor, should be good enough to permit a landing. A second landing opportunity is available at 2:32 pm EST (1932 GMT), while the alternate landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, California will not be activated Monday.